William Robertson (historian)
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William Robertson (born September 19, 1721 in Borthwick, Midlothian , † June 11, 1793 in Edinburgh ) was a Scottish clergyman, historian and rector of the University of Edinburgh .
Life
Robertson received his education in Dalkeith and at the University of Edinburgh , where he studied theology . He became pastor in Gladsmuir ( East Lothian ) in 1743 and later at Lady Yester's Kirk and Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh. A staunch Presbyterian and Whig , he volunteered to defend the city against the Jacobites , led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart in 1745.
He became Royal Chaplain of George III (1761), Principal of the University of Edinburgh (1762), Moderator of the Church of Scotland in 1763, and Royal Historiographer in 1764, reviving a role in the royal household in Scotland that had been vacant from 1709 to 1763 was. Robertson was also a member of the Poker Club. Perhaps his most notable work was the History of Scotland 1542–1603 which was published in 1759. He was a significant figure in the Scottish Enlightenment .
In 1783 he was elected a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh . In the same year he became an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg .
Robertson is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh. Today he is named for the nearby building (William Robertson Building) of the University of Edinburgh.
Fonts
- The situation of the world at the time of Christ's appearance. 1791
- The history of the reign of Charles V. 1792 (4 volumes)
- The history of America Books 1-8. 1792 (3 volumes)
- The history of Scotland. (PDF; 22.3 MB) 1794 (2 volumes)
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An historical disquisition concerning the knowledge which the ancients had of India. 1791
- Transl. Johann Daniel Sander , Georg Forster (also preface): Historical study of the knowledge of the ancients of India, and the progress of trade with this country before the discovery of the way there through the promontory of good hope . Voss, Berlin 1792
- The history of America, Books 9-10. 1796
Individual evidence
- ↑ Info on jamesboswell.info
- ^ Fellows Directory. Biographical Index: Former RSE Fellows 1783–2002. (PDF file) Royal Society of Edinburgh, accessed April 3, 2020 .
- ^ Foreign members of the Russian Academy of Sciences since 1724: Robertson, William. Russian Academy of Sciences, accessed April 3, 2020 (Russian).
Web links
- William Robertson at James Boswell - a Guide
- Works by and about William Robertson in the German Digital Library
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Robertson, William |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Scottish historian and Rector of the University of Edinburgh |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 19, 1721 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Borthwick, Midlothian |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 11, 1793 |
| Place of death | Edinburgh |